Russia retained its Fed Cup crown on Sunday to make it four titles in five years when Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated Anabel Medina Garrigues 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 to give the visitors an unassailable 3-0 lead over Spain.
Olympic Games bronze medalist Vera Zvonareva and former US Open winner Kuznetsova had set up the win on Saturday in beating Garrigues and Carla Suarez Navarro to establish a 2-0 lead.
Kuznetsova then applied herself to the task once again with gusto to hand Russia the crown and render academic the second reverse singles between Zvonareva and Navarro and the doubles between Nuria Llagostera and Virginia Ruano Pascual and Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova.
Vesnina/Makarova (RUS) breezed past Spanish doubles replacement Nuria Llagostera Vives/Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-1 for a 4-0 lead.
The final singles rubber was canceled
Kuznetsova, 7th in the WTA rankings, had to dig in for her win in 2 hours 30 minutes as 29th-ranked Medina tried to rescue some home pride.
But although she managed to capture the opening set Kuznetsova stepped up a gear to polish off the win.
Kuznetsova put her win down to an improved service showing.
"I served stronger than yesterday and that helped me. We have two players in the top 10 and so we have a little higher level than them.
"I blew a bit hot and cold but to hand the win to my country is just extraordinary for me. I love playing Fed Cup. I've not had the best year but I am still in the top 10," said the Russian, who added she was going to spend more time training in Moscow and less in Barcelona.
"I love Spain but I really miss my country. It's time to make the change," Kuznetsova said.
Medina meanwhile lamented being unable to hold on after her good start, adding that the Spaniards had given it their best shot throughout the tournament.
"It was a tough match and I was never really close. She really stepped up on the big points (but) we can't criticize this team - we did very well to get to the final with these players and we can be satisfied overall," the Spaniard insisted as the host failed to pick up its sixth Fed Cup title.
Russian strength in depth - it has six players in the WTA top 20 - won out ultimately, with the champion able to land the trophy in the absence of star names such as Maria Sharapova and Olympic champion Elena Dementieva.
Before its purple patch of wins started with a maiden triumph in 2004 the Russians had made losing final appearances in 1988, 1990, 1999 and 2001.
(AFP via China Daily September 16, 2008)